Coal-chute.



No. 667,06l. Patented Ian. 29, mm.

.1. 0. CLABKS-ON.

coAL 'CHUTE.

(Application filed Mar. 6, 1900.)

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ATTORNEY 7' W 77/75 SSE m: nonms Prrzns lav PnofoLn-ua: wasnmcrou, n cy (no. 667,o6|." Patented Ian. 29, I90l.

JQ D. CLARKSO'N.

GOAL- GHUTE.

(Application filed Mar. 6, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Shoat 2.

(No Model.)

n4: uun ms many 60.. mom-mun. msumsmul'n JAMES D. CLARKSON, OF OARTHAGE, MISSOURI.

COAL-CHUTE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 667,061, dated January 29, 1901.

Application filed March 6, 1900. serial No. 7,546. (No model.)

To a whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES D. OLARKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carthage, in the county of Jasperand State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coal-Chutes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to furnaces, and more particularly to a coal-chute therefor; and one object thereof is to provide means for feeding predetermined quantities of fuel into the fire-pot of a furnace by mechanical means.

Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby the fuel can be fed from the upper story or stories of a habitation or other building through the medium of suitable mechanism in such a manner that a saving of fuel will be effected by feeding small quantities at a time.

A still further object is to so construct the chute that the opening constituting the entrance to the fire-pot can be automatically opened and closed by a door, so that the gases resulting from the combustion of the fuel Will be prevented from gaining access to the chute.

With these objects in view my invention comprises a suitable chute provided with a discha rge-opening adjacent to an opening in the fire-pot and means within said chute for successively and consecutively discharging predetermined amounts or quantities of fuel into the furnace.

My invention further consists in providing an automatic cut-off at the discharge end of the chute for preventing the gases from arising within the same.

My invention also consists in the peculiar constructions of the several parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and recited in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a furnace with my invention applied thereto and in section. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the chute detached. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of a modified form of chute. Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations of slightly modified forms of my invention. 1

Referring now to the drawings by referencenumerals, 1 indicates a furnace of ordinary construction and provided with an opening 2 above the usual opening for the admission. of

fuel. The chute, which is secured to this furnace, comprises a substantially oblong body normally closed on all sides and at one end, although a hinged door 3 is arranged upon the top, whereby fuel can be deposited within the said chute, as will be presently explained. The discharge end of the chute is open and is surrounded by a flange 4, whereby it can be secured to the furnace, while the other end is suitably suspended from a suitable support, as by a hooked rod 5. Hinged equidistantly along the bottom of said chute are a plurality of partitions 6, adapted when down to lie in the cut-out portions 7, so that when unsupported a substantially even surface will be provided upon. which the coal can slide. These partitions are normally held in a vertical position by a series of complementary pins 8, connected by chains 9 and 10, so that they can be withdrawn through the medium of a crank-shaft 11 upon the first fioor above that upon which the furnace is situated or a crank-shaft 12 upon a higher floor. Both of these cranks in practice will be journaled insuitable bearings between the partitions or walls of the building, so that only the crank-handles will be visible and the appearance of the room will not be marred thereby.

Attention is directed to the fact that there is sufficient slack of the chain between each pin to allow the preceding one to be withdrawn without affecting the one following. It is also obvious that when the partitions are in vertical position any backward movement past a perpendicular to the bottom of the chute will be prevented by the shoulders 13, against which they are hinged.

The door 14, hinged to the top of the chute and adjacent to the discharge end thereof, is provided to exclude all gases and flames from the chute, and in view of its peculiar arrangement it will only open when raised by the passage of the fuel from one of the compartments formed by the partitions above referred to. However, as soon as the coal passes and enters the fire-pot its own weight will cause it to close by gravity.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The chute is filled by opening the floor 3 after setting all the partitions in their normal positions, as shown in Fig. l, and is ready for use. When the furnace needs replenishing, the operator from one of the stories above operates one of the chains to withdraw the first pin or bolt in the series. As soon as this bolt is withdrawn (the chute being arranged on an angle) the weight of the coal will cause the partition against which it bears to fall down and allow the fuel to pass into the furnace, raising the door 14 in its descent, but which will close as soon as the fuel is passed. The force with which the fuel enters the firepot as it passes from the discharge end of the chute will cause it to be evenly spread over the fire and no leveling will be required. \Vhen it again becomes necessary to replenish the fire, the second bolt is withdrawn, and so on throughout the entire series.

In the modified form of my device shown in Fig. 3 the relative arrangement of the parts is the same except instead of the partitions I provide a paddle-wheel 16, journaled in the enlarged portion of the chute, which is modified to accommodate it, as at 17. This wheel has a series of radiating paddles or blades 18 projecting from its hub to form receptacles 19 to constitute measures, so that when said wheel is rotated by the chain 20, through the medium of the sprockets 21 and 22, a graduated amount of fuel will be fed into the furnace.

The trimmer23 is centrally hinged at 24 and normally held in the position shown by a coil-spring 25.

A modification is shown in Fig. 4, in which the device is shown applied to a furnace already set up and in which the usual fire-pot door is employed in lieu of the extra opening 2, as shown in the former figures. In this form the discharge end of the chute extends slightly beyond the inner wall of the furnace, so that there will be no danger of clogging of the fuel in the opening.

111 order that access may be had to the interior of the furnace for the purpose of lighting the fire, stokum, 850., the chute is removably secured in the opening 2 and can be removed therefrom and held out of engagement with the furnace by a support 30, which engages the hook 31 011 the top of the chute.

In the modified form shown-in Fig. 5 the chute is provided at its discharge end with a series of hinged or telescopic sections 26, so that it may be raised to discharge or lowered to be replenished by the cord-or chain 27, connected to its rear end and which passes over the pulley 28 and is operated by the crankand-ratchet mechanism 29.

Realizing that slight changes of construction might be made in my invention from that shown, I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the peculiar details illustrated and described, but hold that many slight changes might be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, a cable might be employed instead of the chain, as shown, or rods could be employed; but I prefer the chains because they are more applicable to the device.

I claim 1. In a coal-chute, the combination with a combustion-chamber and a casing emptying thereinto, of a series of partitions hinged in the casing, means for normally holding said partitions at a perpendicular to the bottom of the casing, and means for successively releasing said partitions so that they will fold down upon the bottom.

2. In a coal-chute, the combination with a combustion-chamber, and a casing, of a series of vertically arranged partitions therein, means for successively releasing said partitions and an automatically-operating door at the discharge end of the chute.

3. The combination with a furnace, of an elongated casing secured to said furnace and surrounding the feed-opening thereof, a plurality of compartments in the chute formed by partitions and means for successively causing said partitions to fold out of the path of the fuel.

4. The combination with a furnace and a coal-chute secured thereto, of a plurality of hinged partitions in the chute, pins in the chute for normally'holding the partitions in a vertical position and aconnection between the several pins for connecting them in series whereby the pins may be successively withdrawn from engagement with the partitions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES D. CLARKSON.

Witnesses:

CHAMP (J. CONNER, HOWARD GRAY. 

